Columbia track team sets six school records at 2010 Penn Relays

For the Columbia Lions, the 2010 Penn Relays were a mixed bag. After three days of competition over the University of Pennsylvania’s famed Franklin Field, six school records fell, and numerous individuals had breakout performances. However, marquee Championship of America events came up a slight short in spite of high expectations, though there were outstanding individual legs.

The meet started out well with sophomore Kyra Caldwell conquering the 1-minute barrier in the 400m hurdles, placing third in a new Columbia record 59.31—a time that currently leads the league. Freshman Uju Ofoche kept the ball rolling with a 6.03m (19’ 9.5”) long jump, a notable improvement upon her previous best and also a new school record. The leap was good for fourth in the College Women’s Eastern section and ranks No. 2 in the conference. Making a hat trick on school records for the day, the women’s DMR took five seconds off the previous Columbia mark, placing 10th in the College Women’s Championship of America in 11.19.47. The women’s 4x400m was runner-up to Cornell in the Heptagonal section, completing the 1600m in 3:41.96. Sophomore Sharay Hale however, ran a blazing 52.03 anchor leg, which will surely boost her confidence heading into the championship season.

In open events Thursday night, junior Julianne Quinn impressed with a 10:29.46 3k steeple to take fifth. The performance moved her to No. 2 in the Ivy League behind Princeton’s Ashley Higginson. Freshman Emily Lanois ran a breakout 5k in the Olympic Development section, finishing seventh in 16:48.96.

Freshman Uzunma Udeh opened Friday with a fourth-place triple jump of 12.30m (40’ 4.25”) in the College Women’s Eastern section—a length good for No. 2 in the league and another great advancement for one of the underclassmen women jumpers. The women’s 4x1500m followed in the Championship of America section with a Columbia record of 18:04.62, besting league rival Princeton’s 18:06.75. The two finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

In the College Men’s Distance Medley Championships of America, junior Jeff Moriarty got the Lions off to a great start, handing off the baton in second after a 2:56.50 1200m leg, much of which he led. Sophomore Justin Holloman ran a personal best 48.03 on the 400m leg to hand off still in contention at fourth. On the third leg, Oregon freshman Mac Fleet ran a 1:48.04 800m split to gap the field and set up teammate Andrew Wheating perfectly—he never looked back. Lion senior Mike Mark split an impressive 1:50.02, though, to maintain Columbia’s fourth position. Sub-4:00 miler sophomore Kyle Merber ran with the chase pack through much of the 1600m anchor leg, but he faded in the last lap, splitting 4:08.65. The men set a new school record with a time of 9:43.19 and finished eighth overall. Oregon won in 9:30.69.

On Saturday, much of that group returned for the College Men’s 4x800 Championship of America—a title that the Lions took home in 2007. Mark was unable to equal his Friday split and handed off buried in 12th, running 1:52.84. Pre-race favorites Penn State, Virginia, and Oregon opened one, two, and three, respectively. Junior Matthew Stewart had a stellar second leg, making up some ground with a 1:50.31 split. However, with three sub 1:48 splits, the top three were clear ahead. Merber split 1:52.55 on the third leg to get the baton to Moriarty in 10th. An awesome 1:48.23 anchor by the junior half-mile specialist was enough to pull the Lions to ninth on the field of 12 in 7:23.93. On a better day, the quartet was certainly capable of a sub-7:20 run. However, this year’s race consisted of one of the deepest men’s 4x800m fields ever with the top four teams under 7:20. Virginia freshman Robby Andrews edged Wheating to the line in a photo finish 7:15.38 to 7:15.55.

The women’s 4x400m squad—consisting of Ofoche, Caldwell, Hale, and freshman Yamira Bell—had a great rebound later in the day in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship heat. Their 3:40.67 finish was a new school record and good for second overall, defeating league rivals Cornell and Penn along the way.

Next up the Lions send split groups to Palo Alto and Princeton for the Stanford Invitational and Princeton Elite Meet as final tune-ups before the Heptagonal Championships, May 8-9 at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium.